The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-26
A POOR BARGAIN.


dear, and don't pick at the cake" said
Roy's mother.
"Don't take en- apple without leave
from tree belonging to any one else,"
said his father.
Roy was a good little boy in most
things, but he took no pains to correct
himself of this habit of picking and pill
fering in small way.
And as bad habit, like q great many
other bad things-and good ones, too
grows very fast. it was not long before
he would take an orange or a half-dozsn
macaroons from dish waiting for desert;
and if marble or pencil belonging to
another boy came in his way, he would
slip them into his pocket if he was quite
sure that nobody would see him.
His mother sometimes came to know Of
his ugly tricks and talked to him of the
sin and meanness of taking anything be-
longing to another.
"Will you go down town and get some
Berlin wool for me, Roy ?" asked grand
mother, coming into the room.
Eyes, ma'am," said Roy.
"That is one of the things your hands
can do" said mamma, as he took up the
half dollar and the bit of paper on which
grandmother wrote the errand, although
he insisted he could remember it without
writing.
1.-TWO ounces like sample" said the man
at the store. "Yes, that's right" as Roy
laid down the money. "It's twenty-five
cents an ounce"
The man put the wool into a paper bag,
which he showed toward Roy, and then
turned to wait on another customer.
Roy began looking at the marbles
which stood in the little round wooden
boxes on the counter. He had never seen
SO many in his life before. There were
commies and CHIMES and potteries and
brandies and crystals and agates, and il
there is any other kind Of marble it was
there too. They were all colors of the
rainbow, plain and streaked and shaded
and spotted.
He felt almost like buying some of
them. But he had been for weeks saving
up his half-dollar to buy fishing rod,
which he could not do without for he was
going home with grandmother and they
always fished there.
He began to think it unfair that Mr..
Pike, the storekeeper, should have so
many marbles and he so few. He took
one out to look at. What beauty it was
with it's red and white stripes, with del
icate twist of blue inside.
His paper bag of wool lay near as he
gave the marble soft little roll on the
counter. The paper had become unfold
ed and the marble rolled toward it. With
another little touch it actually rolled-all
of itself Roy was sure it was none OF
his doing.
He glanced quickly up to see If Mr..
Pike was looking, but no, he was still
busy with somebody else.
There was such lots of marbles, Roy
said to himself:
"What harm could it do to let it stay
in the bag, as it would roll there Just
one, when Mr.. Pike had SO many"
He had never taken anything from a
store before, and his fiDgers-the fingers,
alas which his mother thought good for
so much better work-trembled as he be-
gan folding up the opening of the bag.
"Let me see," eaid Mr.. Pike, turning
suddenly toward him. 81 wonder II l
got the right weight on that WOOL 1t
was two ounces wasn't it ?"
"Ye-ss, sir" stammered Roy.
His face turned red, and he felt hot
down to his feet as Mr.. Pike took the bag
from his hand.
"Wby, I've made a mistake !" said Mr..
Pike, putting it on the scales. "Sure as
the world I've given you four ounces.
must take some out"
sob, no |" said Roy in great fright,
taking hold of the bag.
how could he bear to see that marble
found there In moment it flashed
upon him that, by paying for the extra
two ounces, he could prevent it.
al believe grandmother would just
as lief have four ounces" he said.